Badwater

Posted by Sam on August 04, 2002 at 23:44:34:

Aquarium Mourns Its Superstar Sea Turtle
By James Janega, Chicago Tribune staff reporter,July 27, 2002
Hawkeye the sea turtle's graceful circling in the Caribbean Coral Reef tank
thrilled thousands of aquarium-goers at Chicago's John G. Shedd Aquarium
over the past 25 years, but Shedd veterinarians noticed a change last week.
The hawksbill sea turtle was swimming a little too slowly and didn't eat
quite as much squid as he typically would, even at a fete thrown for him on
July 16, a quarter-century after he arrived there.
Shedd animal care staff members moved Hawkeye to a behind-the-scenes
holding tank, put him on 24-hour watch and gave him a physical every few
days. The last was Thursday evening, when he died in the arms of animal
care specialists.
"Hawkeye has caught the attention of folks for 25 years and has just been
this great ambassador for our conservation messages and education efforts,
and even just for the Shedd in general," aquarium spokesman Roger Germann
said Friday.
The 3-foot-long saltwater reptile was 2 1/2 feet longer and more than 150
pounds heavier than when he was brought in.
Customs officials at O'Hare International Airport discovered the beast in
1977--tired, sick and about the size of a bread plate--tucked into a
tourist's briefcase.
Since then, Hawkeye served as an ambassador for his critically endangered
ilk, regally circling the tank to the oohs and ahs of schoolchildren,
aspiring marine biologists and the simply curious.
Shedd officials are trying to determine why Hawkeye died.
"The entire Shedd community is just sad," Germann said. "The mood is
definitely a little somber around the aquarium."

Follow Ups:

• Re: Badwater-Must Be!- off topic Arkose 00:21:39 08/05/02 (0)